Former senior champion Pat Butler rolled back the years at Castletownkenneigh on Monday where he beat Donncha O’Brien with the last shot of a brilliant Munster Junior A championship tie.

Cathal Toal beat Martin Coppinger in the last shot of a thrilling Joe McVeigh Cup final at Keady, county Armagh yesterday.

Had things gone the other way in her sliding doors moment five years ago, Claire O’Riordan might’ve been part of Limerick’s GAA set-up rather than marshalling Ireland’s defence in tonight’s concluding World Cup qualifier against Northern Ireland (Tallaght, 5.30pm, live on RTÉ2).

David Murphy beat James O’Donovan in the last shot of an enthralling, top class Munster senior semi-final at Béal na mBláth on Sunday.

David Murphy secured his place in the Munster senior championship semi-final, after a gripping contest with Martin Coppinger, at Baile Mhuirne, on Sunday.

Cathal Toal secured his place in the Ulster final of the Joe McVeigh Cup qualifier for the Ból-Fada with a line-to-line win over Bryan O’Reilly and Eddie Carr.

James O’Donovan is the first name on the Willie Whelton Cup after a sensational performance saw him beat All-Ireland champion Thomas Mackle by three bowls of odds at Grange.

Tim Young gave a sensational display at Caheragh where he progressed to the Bill Barrett Cup final at the expense of Denis Wilmot.

Gavin Twohig beat Dónal Riordan in the feature score of the Carbery-South West festival at the Pike.

Thomas Mackle beat David Murphy by almost a bowl in the Joe McVeigh Cup final at the Ból-Fada festival in Keady, Co Armagh yesterday.

Peter Nagle had the first significant championship win of 2016 when he beat Anthony Gould in the last shot at Templemichael in the Cork City Junior A race.

Kelly Mallon and Carmel Ryan will contest tomorrow’s Global Catering Queen of the Roads final after impressive wins at Ballincurrig yesterday.

The 31st Annual King & Queen of the Roads festival will break off tomorrow at Ballincurrig, with Europe’s leading bowlers vying in the two flagship events.

Diarmaid Byrnes holds no recollection of Limerick’s U21 three-in-a-row at the turn of the millennium.

The Munster senior championship will dominate bowling for the next few weeks, starting with both semi-finals at the weekend.

Michael Bohane will play Raymond Ryan in next Sunday’s Munster Intermediate final at Lyre.

Billy McAuliffe and Paul Buckley will contest a classic Munster Junior A final at Templemichael on Friday week, June 26.

Catriona O’Farrell bowled impressively at Templemartin to secure her place in the Munster senior final with almost a bowl of odds on Emma Fitzpatrick.

AT FIRST glance, Paul O’Reilly’s debut collection of short stories seems issue-driven. 

Gary Daly and Séamus Sexton secured places in the Munster senior championship quarter-final draw at the weekend and Éamon Bowen Jnr revived his hopes with a brilliant show against James Buckley, writes Séamus Ó Tuama.

Ireland captain Robbie Keane has taken another step towards carving out a future career in coaching by completing his Uefa B course.

All-Ireland senior women’s champion Carmel Ryan secured a hard-fought victory over Sharon Russell in the first round of the Munster championship at Ballinacurra.

PJ Cooney and Davey Fitzgerald had good wins in the Munster intermediate championship during a weekend packed with championship scores in all grades.

Aidan Murphy is Joe McVeigh Cup champion following his bowl of odds win over Ulster champion Eddie Carr on the Markethill Road in Keady yesterday.

A man who carried out a violent and unprovoked attack on a random stranger has avoided jail today.

Gary Daly kept his Munster championship dreams alive when he beat James Buckley with a huge last shot at Ballincurrig on Sunday in the last score of Pool C.

All-Ireland champion Martin Coppinger was awesome in the opening score of his title defence at Grange on Friday beating Brian Wilmot by three bowls of odds.

David Murphy is strong favourite to lift the first classic of 2013 when he contests the Caledonian Inn Joe McVeigh Cup at next weekend’s Ból-Fada festival on the Markethill Road near Keady, Co. Armagh.

It is 20 years this month since 26-year-old American student Annie McCarrick disappeared in the Dublin mountains, apparently the victim of abduction and murder.

Brian Wilmot beat Liam O’Sullivan by over a bowl in the Marsh Road final on Sunday.

Sunday’s King and Queen of the Roads at Ballincurrig was one of sustained excellence and excitement.

Martin Coppinger is the new Hurley’s of Midleton King of the Roads after a battle of passion, drama and exceptional bowling with David Murphy at Ballincurrig yesterday.

David Murphy is bidding to reach his sixth consecutive final and join Bill Daly at the top of the Hurley’s of Midleton King of the Roads roll of honour this weekend at Ballincurrig.

MUSIC NEWS: Ireland is to lose another record shop with the closure on Sunday of Dolphin Discs on Talbot Street in Dublin.

Raymond Ryan beat John Shorten by a bowl in the Flor Crowley Cup final at Ballinacurra on Saturday.